We know the importance of helping children understand their emotions & emotional literacy and how these feelings influence behaviour. Emotions can be both powerful and complex, which is why emotional literacy is woven into our boys’ education from the very start.
Zones of Regulation
Zones of Regulation is a strategy used from Nursery upwards to enable our children to understand whether or not they are ready to learn. If they are not, they understand why, and what they need to do to be ready. The simple use of colour makes this accessible:
From Nursery onwards, we use the Zones of Regulation as a practical tool to help children recognise their emotional state and assess whether they are ready to learn. If they’re not, they learn to identify why – and more importantly, what steps they can take to get back on track. The use of colour-coded zones makes this approach simple, visual, and accessible for all ages.
Equipped to Understand Each Other
Our pupils are encouraged to practise empathy (one of our key Learning Dispositions) as they learn to understand the feelings of those around them. They are encouraged to respond to others with compassion (one of our three core School values). As our children progress through the School, they are encouraged to increase their range of vocabulary about how they feel: the better they are able to articulate this, the better they are able to interact with those around them.
Using PSHE lessons and pastoral groups, our staff explore a wide range of topics including social situations, friendship, personal challenges and peer pressure. These lessons give pupils a chance, away from the heat of the moment to think about how they might feel and how they might react. Our children learn to understand themselves, and to interact with others confidently, respectfully and with integrity.
